Bicycle-stand



(No Model.)

A. P. MERRILL.

BIGYGLB STAND.

Patented Sept. 1, 1891.

l/Vl/E/VTOI? ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC ANSON P. MERRILL, OF FALL RIVER,MASSACHUSETTS.

BICYCLE-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.458,974, dated September1, 1891.

Application filed May 28, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANSON P. MERRILL, of Fall River, in the county ofBristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bicycle-Stands; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in bicycle-stands.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved bicycle-standexceedingly simple in construction, composed of a minimum number ofstrong, cheap, and easily-manufactured parts so united as to form astand. superior in operation and which will hold the bicycle in a betterand more perfect manner than stands of the same class of generalconstruction heretofore in use. These objects are accomplished by and myinvention consists in certain novel features of construction and incombinations of parts, more fully described hereinafter, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of thestand as in use supportinga bicycle, one wheel of the bicycle beingshown. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the position of the parts of thestand when a bicycle-wheel is entering or leaving the same. Fig. 3 is atop plan view of the stand. Fig. 4 is a detail bottom plan of the jointor hinge between the trackpiece and wheel-holding frame. Fig. 5 is across-section of the rocking track-piece, taken on the line at 00, Fig.3.

In the drawings, reference-letter a indicates the wheel-holding frame,consisting, preferably, of a single piece of metal, such as a rod, bentto form the substantially horizontal parallel portions b I), located adistance apart and arranged to rest upon the floor when the stand is inuse, and the upright portion 0, curving upwardly from said portions band at the upper end formed with a bend or loop 01 to receive thewheeltire, as shown. The

Serial No. 394,445. (No model.)

ends of the rod or frame extend inwardly toward each other, preferablyat right angles, to form the journals c e, which extend into the outerends of bearings or apertures in the two lateral bearing-lugs ff,integral with and extending laterally from the inner end of the curvedtrack-piece g. The longitudinal axis of this track-piece is locatedopposite and in the same plane with said tire or wheel receiving loop orbend of the frame. This trackpiece is preferably curved up at its end,as shown, and is longitudinally grooved upon its upper side to receivethe wheel-tire, and

is provided at suitable parts of its length with the upwardly-extendingforks or opposite lugs h h, between which the wheel-tire fits and bywhich the wheel is held upon the track-piece. The outer end of thetrack-piece is curved down, as shown at 7c. Near its inner end thetrack-piece is provided with and is centrally mounted upon thetransverse footpiece j, extending laterally a suitable distance on eachside of the foot-piece so as to rest horizontally upon the floor, andtogether with the bottom lengths or sides of the wheel-holding framehold the wheel against lateral tilting or falling. The track-piece isrigid with the transverse foot-piece, these parts being preferably castintegral, so that the foot-piece rocks with the track-piece. Thefoot-piece is preferably transversely rounded on its under side to formabearing, and, if desirable, can be provided with a longitudinal rib onits upper side to add strength. \Vhen not in use, the weight of theouter end of the track-piece is suiiicient to hold the downwardly-curvedend of said piece resting upon the floor, thereby lifting the inner endsof the trackpiece and the wheel-holding frame, as clearly shown in Fig.2, and throwing the upper end of the wheelholding frame outwardly, asshown. When a bicycle is wheeled into the stand, the wheel engages theouter end 7.; of the track-piece, which is curved down,as beforedescribed, thereby allowing the wheel to easily mount said track-pieceand move longitudinally the length thereof, so that when the tire of thewheel moves upon the inner end of the track-piece said inner end will bedepressed, thereby swinging upthe track-piece against the wheel-tire, soas to snugly fit the 6o tire of the wheel.

same throughout its length and prevent the whee] moving outwardly, andat the same time throwing down the lower sides of the wheeL holdingframe and the upper portion thereof toward the wheel, so that the loopor bend IO the wheel-holding frame extending down upon opposite sides ofthe wheel and with the sides of thelower portion thereof resting uponthe floor a distance from and on the opposite sides of the wheel,thereby assisting the foot of the :5 track-piece in holding the bicyclein an upright position. The weight of the wheel on the inner ends of thetrack-piece and the hold ing-frame holds the stand in such position thatthe track-piece prevents the wheel moving :0 back and the frame preventsthe wheel moving forward. When the wheel is backed out of the stand, thepressure against the outer upper portion of the track-piece causes saidpiece to rock on its foot, so as to throw up its inner end and therebyrock the holdingframe and move its upper end outwardly away from thewheel, and the leverage of the track-piece on the foot-piece as afulcrum throws the inner end of the track-piece up against the wheel,thereby materially assisting the wheel out of the stand and releasing itfrom the holding-frame. Both sections of this stand are rocked into andout of en gagement with the wheel by the entrance or exit of the wheelfrom the stand.

The simplicity and cheapness of this stand are obvious. It is composed,preferably, of but two parts-via, the track-piece and its foot and thewheel-holding frame. The track- 0 piece can be cast with thebearing-lugs hollow, or they can be cast solid, and the bearin gs insaid lugs can be drilled. As the wheelholding frame is preferably bentfrom a single rod with the inturned ends to form jour- 4 5 nals, thisframe can be easily and quickly at tached to or released from thetrack-piece by spreading the sides of the frame to allow the journals tospring into or out of the bearings of the track-piece. The stand canthereby 0 be taken apart and packed into small compass, and can bereadily and easily put together when required for use.

One great disadvantage of the bicycle-stands heretofore used has beenthat the stand en- 5 5 gaged two or more narrow portions only of therubber tire of the wheel; but in the present stand the wheel has anextended bearing upon the track-piece, which, preferably, throughout itsentire length rests against the The downwardly-extended outer end of thetrack-piece materially assists the wheel in entering or leaving thestand.

It is evident that various slight changes might be made and resorted toin the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts describedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I donot wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but

What I claim is 1. A bicycle-stand composed of two parts, a rockingwheel-holding frame and the rocking track-piece pivotally united to theinner end of the wheel-holding frame and arranged to operate the same toengage and release the wheel.

2. A bicyclestand consisting of the wheelholding frame and the rockingtrack-piece at its inner end pivotally united to the inner end of thewheel-holding frame, said track:

piece having a foot rigid therewith, forming a fulcrum and upholding thedevice.

3. In a bicycle-stand, the combination of the rocking track-piece havingthe foot near its inner end and the wheel-holding frame pivotally unitedto the inner end of said trackpiece.

4. In a bicycle-stand, the rocking tire-receiving track-piece rigid witha transverse foot to form its fulcrum and the wheel-holding framepivotally united to and rocked by said track-piece.

5. In a bicycle-stand, the combination of a track-piece provided with afoot and having the bearings at or near its inner end and thewheel-holding frame having the inturned journals at its inner endmounted in said bearings, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

6. A bicycle-stand consisting of the trackpiece curved up and groovedlongitudinally on its upper side and extended down at its outer end toreceive the wheel, the transverse rounded foot-piece rigid with saidtrackpiece and located near its inner end, the track-piece provided withopposite bearings at its inner end, and the wire holding-frameconsisting of the upwardly-extending portion having the wheel-receivingbend and the bottom side pieces having the inturned ends to enter saidbearings, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afiix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ANSON P. MERRILL.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. T. GALLAGHER, ll/IARY R. BANGS.

